Taiping - revisited...

Back on the saddle...

Port Weld's famous charcoal kiln

It's been months since I rode my bike and a trip to Taiping became the perfect opportunity to link up with old friends and new ones.
I kept my word with Johnny Ng, a close friend on getting the trip organized. The plan was to leave Kuala Lumpur via the KTMB's ETS service and get off in Taiping, Perak.
But there was a snag. Tickets were sold out. 
So, the next plan of action was to get off in Ipoh and find our way there.

At the KL Sentral Station prior to departure

I bought my own return tickets and met Johnny and a few other cyclists in Kepong Sentral station. 
We began our journey to Ipoh and had some time to catch up for some conversation.
Besides Johnny, five other people came along this trip. They were invited by him as we had to keep the numbers low and manageable.

Loading up on the ETS coach

A must-capture photo session in Ipoh

In Simpang, some 7km to go before Port Weld

At the first railway station in Malaysia

Lunch at Tepi Sungai restaurant, Port Weld

Deep-fried baby crabs

The fishing village in Port Weld

When we got off the ETS in Ipoh, it was a mad rush to the Medan Kidd bus station. There, we managed to secure our passage to Taiping.
It took more than an hour for the bus to arrive at Simpang where we got off and continued our ride towards Port Weld.
After traveling for seven kilometres, we arrived at one fo the oldest known towns in the country and had our lunch there.
Later in the day, we rode back to Taiping and checked-in at a motel where we spent the night.
The rest of the group had decided to head down to Ipoh for a ride while I made the call to head straight back to KL due to work commitment.
I've been to Taiping a couple of times and it was a real memorable trip as we approached the last month of the year.

Ipoh - Part 3

Preparing for the trip home.. 

We've had a blast at the Hulu Kinta Forest reserve.
The cyclists spent some time exploring this part of Ipoh and took plenty of pictures.
I told Uncle John that it was time to move on and that we should break for lunch when get get out of the trail.
He told me to alert the rest of the riders about the downhill ride.
Inexperienced cyclists, he added, might encounter some difficulties.
We also parted ways to Patrick, his wife, John, a foreigner and a young girl. They lived in Tambun, so, that was their destination.

Coconuts for the soul

Cooling off

Mr & Mrs Wong enjoying their refreshment

We rode out towards Sunway Ipoh and found a place for a break.
It was a small stall selling coconuts and at RM2.50 a pop, the natural cooling juice was a welcoming treat.
Later, the group proceeded for a lunch break near Giant Hypermart.
I timed the break in such a way, we would be able to get back to the Ipoh Sentral station by 04:00pm at the latest.

Lunch break

A chance encounter...

After filling up our tummies, we rode out towards the Tambun junction.
There, we parted ways with Uncle Joe.
The group carried on riding until they reached a roundabout.
From that point, the cyclists were breaking up.
We regrouped at a bus stop and while we were waiting, Uncle John pointed out at a senior citizen who was pushing his bike.
The man wore a safety vest and was pushing his 26" bike.
"Hey Sam! You've got to meet this guy, he is 95-years-old and still cycling!," said Uncle John.
The man in question is Mr Joseph Sr. 
He was a bank employee and one of the longest surviving cyclist in town.
Uncle Joseph said he had been hit by vehicles a few times and thanked the Lord for looking over his shoulder.
I found his story inspiring and there's no doubt that Ipoh is a place for retirees.
Hopefully, I would be able to catch Uncle Joseph on the trail again. I wished him safe travels before moving on to the new part of the town for an early tea break.

Uncle John sharing a light moment with the Grand old cyclist of Ipoh..

The group, making a final run to town..

We had our tea break at a coffeeshop called Loke Wooi Kee which is famous for their ice-cream soda drink.
There, we feasted on their rojak buah and quenched our thirst with the carbonated beverage.
Uncle John, being the good host that he is, kept watch over our bikes while the group was split in half when some of the cyclists had decided to try out a soya bean drink outlet nearby.

The famous coffee shop serving ice-cream soda in Ipoh, Perak

Uncle John keeping watch

The ice-cream soda treat

After the tea break, Johnny decided to get some trinkets for his family.
He wanted to get the salted herbal chicken and one of the shop selling it had a long queue.
I told him that its all the same.
So, we went to a corner shop and bought some of the local delicacy.
When we were done, we rode out towards the Ipoh Sentral station.
There, we took a group photo to honor our host Uncle John and parted ways.
It was an awesome ride right from the beginning...

Thank you Uncle John! 

Johnny, packing up his 16" ride

The gang, heading back to KL

We said good bye to Uncle John and our riding kaki Roger and Patric had decided to stay behind.
After packing our bikes, we went to a cafe at the station.
There was a table where we sat down with Eric Eng treating the gang with some cool drinks.
While we were at it, an elderly Malay man started engaging in a conversation.
He asked if we were part of a club.
I told him that we were merely friends.
"Eh, you can help me la, organize rides for charity...," he said.
Then, he pulled out his business card and the man has a title.
So, I politely told him that we are not club members and event organizers.
He took my hint and changed the subject.
This is a stranger who wanted a group of cyclists to do his bidding. If we were naive, we might end up doing work for him while he reaped the profits.
So, the way to go about this is to lay low and go under the radar. I had a bad feeling about this and stayed away from giving out way too much information.

Summary

The Ipoh ride had turned out to be a success. Everybody was happy. That said, I can look forward to an overnight stay in Ipoh and spend more time getting to know the great foldies of this Northern town. Once again, Thank You Uncle John and Gang for making this happen! 

Ipoh - Part 2

Riding a small bike in the real world..

I've had my Dahon Curve SL 9-speed 16" folding bike since 2011.
Its the perfect bike for bikepacking and town-hopping.
The 9-speed Shimano Capreo drivetrain is evenly paired with the bike's 55T FSA chainring.
This little demon can climb, cruise and coast.
My last outing was a solo bikepacking ride in Taiping, Perak and I came to appreciate the bike for its versatility.
In the Ipoh ride, three 16" bikes were on the road.
Johnny Ng brought his XDS foldie while Eric Eng was riding a Polygon Urbano.
I didn't have much trouble keeping up with Uncle John and the rest and was actually reserving my energy for the ride to Hulu Kinta.

Samo's going places with his Curve SL

Eric Eng and his Polygon Urbano

Johnny's little and nippy XDS 16" folding bike

We chilled out at the Kek Look Tong cave temple.
A bunch of curious old timers were checking out the bikes and when they were told how much it costs, their faces literally went white.
We took a group photo at the temple grounds before moving off towards Jalan Tambun.

Local folks checking out the bikes.. 

At the Kek Look Tong temple

The road to Hulu Kinta...

Prior to moving out, I told Patrick, the ride leader who took over from Uncle John to keep an eye out for a petrol station where the cyclists can fill up their water bottles.
We have between 10 - 12km to cover before reaching the Briged Utara training centre where the elite VAT69 police commandos are based.

Riding along Jalan Tambun 

Filling up with RON95

Roger and Patric, my regular touring kakis

We rode towards Jalan Tambun through some housing estates to avoid the daily traffic.
While I was maintaining my speed, Uncle Joe rode past and told me that Tambun is the epicentre for growing pomelos.
We kept our conversation until a climb over the North-South Higway bridge.
From that point, we made a right turn towards Sunway Ipoh.
A petrol station was not too far in the distance and there, we filled up on our water while some took their toilet break.

A strong group and well-organized cyclists...

The Ipoh foldies are the most friendliest and courteous group of people I've come across.
In my years of cycling the folding bike, I've yet to meet riders over the age of 70.
There as Uncle Joe and Uncle Tee who were way past their 70s.
Uncle John is one year shy of joining the 70s club.
He told me that the two other guys would cycle regularly and go on town-hopping trips.
"We go to Gopeng and have lunch, then jump into the train back to Ipoh," said Uncle John.
He takes bikepacking seriously and has plans to discover Central Sumatera on his folding bike.
We left the petrol station and Patrick the ride leader is a strong cyclist.
He was pulling at 25km/h and half-way through, Uncle John blasted his electronic siren to ask for a re-group.
The stunned ride leader then said the rest of the group was a bit slow.
I told him that the average moving speed is between 12 - 19km/h.
We waited for the group to close-in and made our way to the Hulu Kinta Trail.

Johnny and his little bike in action

Uncle John our host in Ipoh

Places in Ipoh I never knew existed...

We rode in certain places around Ipoh which I think could be included as a set destination in future bikepacking trips.
I wanted to check out the Tanjung Rambutan train station as it is scheduled to be demolished.
But seeing as it is, the trip to Hulu Kinta forest reserve seems more interesting.
Lucky for me, none of the KL foldies protested, so, we rode out to the area.
Uncle John told me that the area could be really tough for beginners as the terrain was undulating.

At the end of the climb.. 

Mohd Radzi at work with his camera

At the Sultan Azlan Shah reservoir with Patric Yee

I rode along Uncle John and had a chat with him.
We talked a bit and waited for the rest of the riders to re-group.
There are stalls at the Sultan Azlan Shah reservoir and I was told that there are also tracks leading to the National Stud Farm beyond Tanjung Rambutan.
If I have paid to ride in the Ipoh Fun Ride event, I would have never seen these places.
I felt really privileged to cycle with Uncle John and his crew who showed us around.
We spent some time at the Hulu Kinta area before moving back to town..

Ipoh - part 1

A month's worth of planning...

Bike technician and shop owner Johnny Ng had expressed keen interest on a train & ride trip from KL - Ipoh.
I suggested that we take the KTM ETS service from KL Sentral and ride around Ipoh, Perak.
He took the idea with great enthusiasm and all that's left, is to round up the posse.
I bought the tickets in advance and told Johnny that only certain seats in the coach are with enough space to place the folded and bagged bikes.
Apart from that, I also contact Uncle John Pah, an Ipoh resident who rides a Tern Eclipse P24h.
He was very enthusiastic about it and actually made arrangements to show us around.
The head-count was seven cyclists from KL and another 15 people in Ipoh.
Our ride also coincided with the Ipoh fun ride that took place on Sept 15.

The gang in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

Early morning blues

Getting up in the wee hours of the morning and driving to the KL Sentral station isn't everybody's cup of tea.
To bikepack, you've got to be thoroughly disciplined.
People with Rockstar attitude would not cut it.
So, the plan is to meet Johnny and the posse: Mohd Radzi Md Noor, Roger Teoh and Patric Yee (my usual bikepacking and touring kakis) in Brickfields at a public carpark and ride to KL Sentral.
There, we will meet two more cyclists, newcomers Eric Eng and William Yeo.

Ipoh-bound, William, Eric and Mohd Radzi

Johnny wasn't impressed with the size of the breakfast wrap...

We've loaded up with breakfast to begin the two and a-half hour journey to Ipoh.
And at 06:04 sharp, the doors on the KTM ETS coach closed.
Usually, on early morning rides as such, the coach would be half-full. So, we could sit anywhere we want.
And as I've predicted, some asshats sat on our seats. 
It's okay since we found a area in the coach which was large enough to accommodate our bikes.
But the bummer was the fact that I lost my Cateye Rapid One with an adapter clip that was given to me by Johnny's partner Ah Fatt.
I went on without realizing that the light was missing.

Rendezvous with the Ipoh foldies...

We reached Ipoh Sentral station at 08:30am.
There was a group waiting for us there and the first person who came up to us was Uncle John.
He told me that his group is waiting in front of the train station and are ready to escort us on the ride.
"Eh, Sam ah! We are going to take you around a park area in town before heading down to the old section of the city for breakfast.. Okay ah?," asked Uncle John.
I was happy to oblige and told him that Patric was really hungry. 

Introducing the posse to Uncle John at the train station

We made our way to the entrance of the station to set up the bikes.
This time round, I brought my old faithful 16" Dahon Curve SL.
It has the lowest mileage in my stable with about 550km of ride time.
I felt really guilty because the rest of the time, I was cycling my Dahon Speed P8 and Jetstream EX.
Later, we went out to the exterior of the train station and organised a group photo.

Fellowship of the foldies

Uncle John led the cyclists to a park area near the riverfront which I never knew existed.
It was very interesting as we were led towards the older part of Ipoh.
Breakfast was served and my priority was to lead Mohd Radzi to some Halal food stalls while the guys enjoy their Ipoh street food.
Being the only Muslim cycling buddy in the group, I felt obliged to look after him.

Breakfast at Omar Nasi Kandar

Immediately after filling up our tummies, we rode back into town to join the rest of the people.
The ride sweeper Patrick, Uncle John's cycling kaki said we were slightly behind time.
Since Johnny wanted to see some cave temples, I told Uncle John to grant him the wish.

Riding along the Concubine Lane in Ipoh Old Town

Heading out of town

Cycling in an orderly manner

So, we rode a loop across Little India and made our way to the outskirts of Ipoh.
The first destination was the old Polo ground.
We rode around the place and went straight to the Kek Lok Tong Cave temple..